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Plantronics Backbeat GO 3 Wireless Earbuds (Review)

Plantronics released the latest addition to their wireless headphones, the BackBeat GO 3. These are an upgrade from their previous BackBeat GO 2 model. For a couple of weeks I sported these on my daily adventures in the city and I’ve finally come with some feedback.

Design/Style

The design is very simple and straight to the point. The ear tips can be removed for a better fitting tip (comes in three sizes) but the ear loop is one size only. It fit in my ear perfectly – so I had no issues with the fit. The charging port is on the right ear (the cap lifts off to a micro-USB plug), and they also have inline controls (power, pairing, volume, track change). While charging there is a red light indicator. If you choose to buy the pair with the rechargeable pouch, it has a small plug inside so you can charge up on the go. The circle button on the front of the pouch also has light indicators to keep you informed of how my battery is left. They’re pretty lightweight – weighing in at 0.67 ounces, so you don’t even feel that you have them on. They also come in a copper/grey colorway.

Functionality

The BackBeat Go 3 is Bluetooth powered. Simply hold down the middle button on the inline control and that will turn your set on. You will be greeted by the automated voice and it will also tell you how much listening time you have available. The Go 3’s are advertised as having 6.5 hours of listening time – and that holds true (mostly on medium volume, so if it’s at max you might get slightly less). If you choose to purchase the model with the additional charging pack, you’re in for a total of 13 hours of listening time – as the pack can recharge the headphones a bit over a charge and a half.

Pairing the device was easy with an iPhone 6 and my Macbook Air, as I had no issues once I enabled Bluetooth on my devices. Once it connects to your device, you don’t have to manually add it back again to be connected unless you tell your device to forget about the connection with your earbuds. All you have to do is turn on the Bluetooth on your device and it will automatically connect to the earbuds once both on. That was a breeze.

Using the headphones whether it be for work, leisure, or a light jog is pretty easy. They are sweat-proof, in case you’re out on a hot day or if you happen to throw these in your gym bag rather than your BackBeat Fit. These are not made for fitness, but if you happen to have these you will be alright – just don’t drench them.

Sound

This is always the difficult part when it comes to identifying a pair of earbuds that works for you. Plantronics upgraded the listening experience with the BackBeat GO 3 model by adding upgraded custom speakers. In order to fully enjoy the BackBeat GO 3 experience, you must have the earbuds in correctly. If you do not properly seal in the sound with the form fitting buds, you will not have a nice listening experience, and it truly makes all the difference. There’s nothing like feeling ready to smash some work and your tunes sound out of whack. When listening on the highest volume with the proper seal, I can’t hear anything from the outside. Vocals are pretty crisp, – decent mids but the bass is lacking. Most music today has a great deal of bass and the GO 3’s don’t perform the best in that department.

The Bottom Line

Plantronics has made some wonderful improvements to their BackBeat GO series, but the only area still lacking is in the bass. While it’s not the most thumping, it’s also not horrendous. For the price, it’s a pretty functional set, with great battery life and it can be multipurpose if needed.